Conservation and New Construction Solutions in Rammed Earth

Abstract

The conservation and rehabilitation of several sites of cultural heritage and of the large housing stock built from rammed earth requires adopting intervention techniques that aim at their repair or strengthening. The present work discusses the main causes of the decay of rammed earth constructions. The intervention techniques used to repair cracks and lost volumes of material are also discussed. Regarding the strengthening of rammed earth walls, the discussion is focused on the techniques that improve the out-of-plane behaviour. Special attention is given to the injection of mud grouts for crack repair in rammed earth walls, including the presentation of the most recent developments on the topic, namely regarding their fresh-state rheology, hardened-state strength and adhesion. Finally, the use of the rammed earth is discussed as a modern building solution. In addition, several typical techniques for improving rammed earth constructions are discussed, aiming at adequate those to modern demands. In addition, the alkaline activation of fly ash is presented and discussed as a novel improvement technique.